Does Yoga Help In Reducing Anxiety? – Know These 12 Best Yoga Poses For Anxiety

Are you someone who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks? You are not alone. There are several others out there who feel embarrassed for the temporary chaos that anxiety causes to their behavior. Schedule a time for practicing these 12 yoga poses for anxiety & get ready to witness an amazing change in your personality.

Life Through The Eyes Of A Person Suffering From Anxiety!

How do you feel when you are about to take that big life-changing test or how do you feel when asked to speak in front of a huge audience? Well, we all carry a little bit of fear inside us that changes our behavior during such situations.

Sadly, people suffering from anxiety disorders feel this nervousness all the time. However, there are certain yoga poses for anxiety that have been suggested to help people get over frequent panic attacks and general anxiety symptoms.

Just ensure that you firmly stick on to your workout schedule and be committed until you witness a change in your behavior.

Types Of Anxiety

Based on how people feel during various situations, anxiety has been categorized into four different types.

1. Panic Disorders Or Anxiety Panic Attacks

Not all people suffering from anxiety do suffer from panic attacks. When the situation becomes extreme, panic attacks become a frequent aspect of a person’s life.
It is during such situations that people feel disconnected from the reality for a temporary period, experience a sudden change in the heartbeat, discomfort in the chest, a feeling that may feel like you are experiencing a heart attack and an excessive sweating.

2. Phobias Which Are Specific

We all fear something in our lives. Water, heights, dogs, crowded places and the list goes on. We all fear something in particular. For example, you may feel a type of nervousness or anxiety when you are at the top of the building and you suffer from acrophobia (fear of heights).

Sometimes, the fear might get so intense, you may start avoiding the situation even though it does not involve a long height.

3. Social Anxiety

People suffering from social anxiety worry about how they might appear in other people’s eyes. They might constantly feel worried that they might get rejected by others or that their performance could be negatively evaluated.

This makes them avoid normal situations which involve social interactions because they feel vulnerable that they might get humiliated or embarrassed in front of others.

If you are someone suffering from social anxiety, calm down because it is not a big deal! The anxiety that you have been facing is only because of your overthinking.

You just have to understand that other’s opinions and judgement do not matter much as long you are happy and contented with your own self.

#Tip –Get into the journey of self-discovery and become self-confident enough to an extent that you feel other’s judgement is not what you are living for.

4. General Anxiety

Those who suffer from general anxiety do not need any reason to feel anxious or nervous. They tend to feel worried in all kinds of situations.

They might feel anxious about certain situations that might have disturbed their mindset in the past, or they could be worrying that something might not go well in the future.

2. Bow Pose Or Dhanurasana

Bow pose which is one of the most effective yoga poses for anxiety has been derived from the Sanskrit word “Dhanurasana” which can be split down into dhanu meaning bow and asana meaning pose.

How To Perform The Bow Pose?

Lie down on the floor (the side of your stomach facing the floor) and maintain a distance of hip width between your feet. Place your arms on either side of your body.

Bend your knees and extend your hands back to hold your ankles with the help of your hands.

Take in a deep breath and raise the upper part of your body (chest) and legs off the ground.

Ensure that you form the shape of a bow as you maintain the pose.

Stay in the position for at least half a minute and slowly exhale while getting back to the normal position.

How Does Bow Pose Help Anxiety?

A bow pose helps in stretching your body to the maximum extent and you will be able to experience a deep sense of relaxation as you inhale and exhale while performing the pose.

You will see a gradual reduction in your anxiety when you make dhanurasana a daily aspect of your life.

Note- Avoid practicing the pose if you have been suffering from any serious spinal cord problems or serious stomach disorders.

3. Camel Pose Or Ustrasana

Camel pose also known as Ustrasana where ustra means camel and asana meaning pose. The pose is said to be highly beneficial for those who are suffering from thyroid disorders since it helps in stretching your thorax region to the maximum extent.

How To Perform Camel Pose?

Kneel down on the floor such that your knees and shoulders are in the same vertical line.

The soles of your foot should be facing the ceiling as you kneel down

Extend your hands backwards and grab your ankles with the help of your palms

You must be able to feel a pull at your navel as you stay in the position.

Stay in the position for 30 seconds before you get back to the normal position.

How Does Camel Pose Help Anxiety?

Camel pose is one of the best poses of yoga for anxiety disorder because staying in the pose for at least 30 seconds helps in an effective circulation of blood throughout your body, more particularly helping in an effective supply of oxygen to the brain.

This relieves you from the symptoms of anxiety such as nervousness and tension.

4. Bridge Pose Or Sethu Bandhasana

The pose is also known as Sethu bandhasana where Sethu means bridge and bandha means to lock in the Sanskrit language. The pose majorly helps in strengthening the back muscles and muscles in the neck region but is also the best-recommended pose of yoga for natural anxiety relief.

How To Perform The Bridge Pose?

Lie down on the floor with your back facing the floor. Place your feet 6 inches apart from each other making sure that your ankles and knees align in the same vertical line.

Rest your hands on the floor (hands placed on either side of the body) with your palms facing the floor.

Raise your body off the floor such that your upper part of the back, middle part and lower portion of your back are off the ground.

The only source of your contact should be your shoulders, head, arms and feet.

Raise your back as high as you can and stay in the position for about 30 seconds before you get back to the normal position.

How Does A Bridge Pose Help Anxiety?

As you stay in the bridge pose, your body gets stretched to the best possible extent and there is a good blood circulation provided throughout the body which calms your mind and cures any sort of tension or anxiety.

5. Cat-Cow Pose For Natural Anxiety Relief

Cat pose which is commonly called as Marjariasana has a Sanskrit meaning behind its name which implies to marjari means cat and asana means pose.

Cow pose is known by the name Bitilasana where bitila means cow and asana means pose. Since the exercise requires you to get into two different poses (a cat while exhaling and a cow while inhaling), it is known as cat cow pose.

Apart from being the best posture of Yoga for anxiety disorder, it helps in providing a relief from spinal problems and injuries.

How To Perform Cat Cow Pose?

Get on to your two hands and two feet like that of a cat

Adjust your gaze to what is right ahead of you

Take a deep breath (inhalation) and push your head backwards such that you are gazing at the rooftop. Now you are in a cow pose.

Make a gradual exhalation and come into the cat pose by tilting your head downwards such that your chin touches your chest.

How Does Cat Cow Pose Help Anxiety?

You are making deep inhalations and gradual exhalations and stretching your spine as if you are relaxing both your mind and your body which makes it one of the best poses of yoga for anxiety disorder.

6. Fish Pose Or Matsyasana

The term fish pose implies to Matsyasana where Matsya means fish and asana means pose. The pose not only works the best as the natural treatment for anxiety but it also helps people suffering from spinal problems.

How To Perform Fish Pose?

Lie down on the floor such that your back is facing the floor.

Place your hands on either side of your body.

Raise your shoulders and along with the upper part of your body with your head still in contact with the floor.

Start tilting your head backwards such that the top part of your skull comes in contact with the floor.

Stay in the position for 10-15 seconds and be careful while getting back to the normal position.

How Fish Pose Helps Anxiety?

The pose essentially helps in providing your brain with enough amounts of oxygen which relieve you from the confusion and chaos caused due to anxiety.

The fish pose also helps in providing strength to the spine and neck muscles.

7. Corpse Pose Or Shavasana

One of the best yoga poses for anxiety that provides a great relief from tension and stress is a corpse pose. Ironically, most people get drifted away into a good sleep while practicing the pose which makes it their favorite pose.

The purpose altogether is the same (providing relaxation) but falling asleep while doing a corpse pose(1) is a wrong way of doing the pose.

How To Do A Corpse Pose?

Lie down on the floor with your legs placed hip-width apart from each other.

Extend your arms towards the sides of your body such that your palms face the roof.

Take deep inhalations and gradual exhalations and shift your focus from one part of the body to another (starting from toes till the head) observing the activities taking place in each part of the body while practicing breathing.

Stay in the position for a maximum of 3-4 minutes.

How Corpse Pose Helps Anxiety?

The pose helps in a deep relaxation of muscles and provides a calming effect to the brain. Also, corpse pose helps in improving the concentration power making the person mindful of the current situation, Thereby Reducing the Chance Of Panic Attacks.

8. Seated Forward Bend Or Paschimottanasana

The pose is also commonly known as paschimottanasana in Sanskrit which can be split down as paschima meaning west and utthana meaning an immense stretch.

Stay in the position for 10 seconds after which you can get back to the normal position.

How Seated Bend Forward Helps Anxiety?

The stretching helps in relaxation of your muscles and improvises the blood circulation throughout your body which is why it is considered as one of the most effective yoga poses for anxiety.

9. Child’s Pose Or Balasana

The word child’s pose is derived from the word Balasana where bala means child and asana means pose. The pose has been named such because it makes you relaxed and playful just as a child.

How To Do A Child’s Pose?

Start by kneeling down on the floor and sit down by resting your buttocks on your ankles.

Maintain a distance of six inches between your knees.

Make a deep inhalation while raising your hands and bend forward to place your hands on the floor.

Your chest should come in contact with your thighs as you bend and your forehead should touch the floor.

Remain in the position for 20 seconds and make a gradual exhalation while coming back to the normal position.

Why Is Child’s Pose Is The Best Pose Of Yoga For Anxiety Disorder?

As the term itself suggests, you get into a quite playful mood as you practice the pose and moreover the pose helps you to stretch your body and improve the circulation throughout your body.

10. Legs Up The Wall Or Viparitha Karani

You may sometimes get into this pose unconsciously while reading your favorite novel or while playing your favorite game but scientifically, the pose helps you in improvising the circulation of blood throughout your body and reducing your stress levels.

The pose is also known as Viparitha Karani in Sanskrit which literally translates to upside down.

How To Perform The Pose?

Choose a place at your home that is closer to the wall

Lie down on the floor and move your legs closer towards the wall.

Raise your legs upward and rest them on the wall, with the wall being the support for your legs.

You can also practice the pose without the help of the wall if you think you can balance yourself without the support if the wall.

How The Pose Helps Anxiety?

Getting into Viparitha Karani pose makes the blood flow freely from your toes till you head enabling a better supply of oxygen to your nervous system.

This keeps you refreshed throughout the day and helps you focus better reducing the symptoms of anxiety.

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Written By

Sai Sudha Chintapalli is a certified health blogger, who has an experience of above 2 years in the field of writing with an authorized certificate in the area of Introduction to food and health from Stanford University.
She has a special interest in life sciences, human psychology and fitness which drove her to make blogging turn passion to profession. She has conducted a survey on Malnutrition in children in a slum area at Hyderabad and studied about the adulteration in Food items as the part of her projects while pursuing her bachelor's degree in Life Sciences.
Being an introvert, writer, empath and a nature lover, she loves Yoga and believes it to be one of the best pathways to self discovery!